Base for a control box

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a base for a switch cabinet with four corner elements, which are connected to one another by means of two longitudinal panels that run parallel to one another and two transverse elements that are arranged parallel to one another, whereby at least one transverse element is formed as a profiled rail that has tracks of punched holes and that extends between the lower and/or upper sections of two adjacent corner elements, which profiled rail has end sections on both sides that extend on the outer side and into the interior of the corner elements.

The invention relates to a base for a switch cabinet with four corner elements, which are connected to one another via two longitudinal panels that run parallel to one another and two transverse elements that are arranged parallel to one another.

Bases of the known kind primarily serve to create a space under the switch cabinet in which the cable installation of the cabinet, among other items, can be arranged. This is particularly significant when several switch cabinets are to be arranged next to one another, so that, in this case, it is possible to provide cabling of the separate switch cabinets with one another in the space created by the base.

With the known bases of this kind, a rack of the switch cabinet is usually screwed down with the corner pieces of the base, whereas the longitudinal panels and transverse elements serve merely as a covering, but play no part in the support. The longitudinal panels and transverse elements are either screwed down to the corner piece from the interior of the corner pieces or on their outer side.

If switch cabinets are to be mounted in a row, it is therefore necessary to subsequently remove the transverse panels of the bases, in order to allow the switch cabinets to be connected to one another or to allow for cabling. If the transverse elements are secured to the corner pieces from the inside in this case, the removal of the same often requires a great deal of effort, because the bottom of the switch cabinets must be removed in order to ensure access to the screws. If the, transverse elements are secured from the outside, it is necessary to remove these before the switch cabinets are mounted next to one another, because it is no longer possible to loosen the transverse elements in the contact area between the switch cabinets afterwards. Because of the considerable weight of the switch cabinets, a slight displacement of the corner pieces can result, however, when the switch cabinets are joined together, because of which, precise positioning of the corner pieces of the neighbouring switch cabinets with regard to one another is no longer ensured, or no longer without additional effort. At the same time, stability problems with the base can arise.

In the German utility model 84 10 203, it is therefore proposed to provide two transverse panels, arranged one over the other, instead of an interconnected transverse panel, whereby each of the two is connected to the corner pieces from the inside via offset side areas. In application, the transverse panels of a switch cabinet arranged in a row of switch cabinets can be loosened, without it being necessary to change the row of switch cabinets. To this end, however, it is necessary to remove the bottom plate of the switch cabinet, in order to be thus able to reach the interior of the base and, from there, to remove the screwed connection between the corner pieces and at least one of the two transverse elements that are arranged one over the other.

In order to loosen the bottom plate, however, it is necessary to remove all mounting plates from the switch cabinet, so that these must be re-installed afterwards. Because of this, the installation costs are considerably increased.

A simplification of the access to the base is known from DE 42 05 443, in which access to the corner piece is made possible by removing the longitudinal panel or an area of the longitudinal panel. As a result, access to the interior of the base is possible without intervention being necessary in the switch cabinet itself. If access to the interior of the base has been created, the screws that fasten the transverse panel can be loosened. With this method, however, a complete transverse panel is inserted, in turn; problems often arise when the transverse panel is removed at a later time, because this panel cannot be removed from its position without further effort, so that it is recommended that the transverse panel be removed before the switch cabinets are pushed together.

It is therefore the object of the invention to create a base for a switch cabinet of the kind mentioned at the beginning, with which the problems known from the state of the art are overcome.

This object is solved for a base of the known kind in that at least one transverse element is formed as a profiled rail that has tracks of punched holes and that extends between the lower and/or upper sections of two adjacent corner elements, where the profiled rail has end sections on both sides that simultaneously extend on the outside and in the interior of the corner element.

Because the transverse elements formed according to the invention do not extend over the entire height of the corner pieces, but instead only over a certain area, these can be particularly advantageously used with switch cabinets that are positioned next to one another. In this way, on the one hand, the stability of the base and the positioning of the corner pieces with regard to one another are ensured, because it is no longer necessary to remove the transverse elements, and consequently the cabling can also be easily and simply laid over the transverse elements.

Because the end sections of the transverse elements extend both into the interior of the corner pieces and also along their outer sides, it is possible to increase the stability of the base considerably.

According to a preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the profiled rail is formed in a U-shaped cross-section, whereby the legs of the U extend parallel to the bottom and whereby a bent surface is offset from at least one of the legs of the U to the other leg of the U and parallel to the base area. The formation of the transverse element as a U-beam has proven satisfactory particularly with regard to the stability of the same. In addition, it makes it possible to arrange cables within the U-beam.

Furthermore, it can be provided that each leg of the U of the transverse element has at least one track of punched holes. In this way, it is easily possible to attach additional components to the transverse element or to connect several transverse profiled rails, adjacent to one another, to one another.

Advantageously, the width of the base area of the profiled rails can correspond to approximately a third of the height of the corner element. In this way, sufficient stability of the base is ensured, on the one hand, and, at the same time, sufficient space can be made available in the base area between two switch cabinets that border on one another, in order to ensure cable connections, etc., here.

According to a further embodiment, it can be provided that both the base area and the bent surface of the leg of the U are lengthened on both sides beyond the profiled rail and extend on the outer side or into the interior of the corner element as end sections. By lengthening the base area of the profiled rail, which extends along the outside of the corner piece, a sufficient supporting surface of the transverse element is attained on the corner piece, thus ensuring a secure hold. At the same time, the bent surface, which extends into the interior of the corner element, serves as additional stabilisation.

In this case, it can be provided that the lengthened base area that is arranged on the outer side of the corner pieces has projections, which extend over a predefined section across the outer side of the corner pieces. In this way, the supporting surface on the outer side of the corner pieces is enlarged and thus an even better attachment is achieved.

Advantageously, at least one penetration opening can be provided in the lengthened base area arranged on the outer side of the corner pieces and/or projection on the transverse element. In this way, the transverse element can be easily screwed down with the corner element.

According to a further preferred embodiment, each corner element of the base can have a bottom and top surface, as well as two longitudinal surfaces that extend between them. In this way, the corner element is formed by only a frame, and, in this way, allows easy access to the interior of the base even in the installed state.

In this case, the corner elements can furthermore have a front side that has an essentially rectangular opening, whereby this opening corresponds to at least half of the front side. Because of the additional side, the stability of the corner pieces is considerably increased.

According to another embodiment, the longitudinal surface that is turned away from the interior of the base when installed can have a reinforcing surface offset at a right-angle to the back on an edge that extends parallel to the back.

In this embodiment, the reinforcing surface assumes the task of the back and thus provides additional stabilisation.

Advantageously, the reinforcing surfaces and the opening formed on the front side can be positioned opposite to one another. This feature, in turn, ensures the stability, because the open areas of the front and back side, respectively, do not lie opposite one another.

A further embodiment can provide that the reinforcing surface arranged on the back part has a slot-shaped recess in the area bordering the top and/or bottom surface, which recess runs parallel to the longitudinal edge of the corner piece. In the assembled state, the end sections of the transverse element that extend into the interior of the corner piece are fed into these slot-shaped recesses.

According to a further embodiment, it can be provided that the longitudinal surfaces of the corner elements that face one another when installed have essentially rectangular punched out sections, which are offset facing one another and parallel to the front surface of the corner piece. Preferably, the offset punched out areas are provided with penetration openings.

In this way, an additional attachment area is provided on the corner piece, which can particularly be used for securing the longitudinal panels. At the same time, the manufacture of the corner piece is simplified, because no additional part has to be secured on the corner piece.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the bottom or top surface of each corner piece has at least one penetration opening. These penetration openings serve to secure the base to the switch cabinet or to secure the base to the bottom.

According to a further preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the longitudinal panel is formed in three pieces, whereby one longitudinal panel section extends between the corner elements all the way over the reinforcing surfaces or up to the penetration openings, and two essentially equally large covering elements are placed on the open areas of the front surfaces of the corner pieces.

In this way, easy access to the interior of the base is ensured after the switch cabinets have been mounted, because it is not necessary to screw off the complete longitudinal panel, but instead only the sections that cover the open areas of the corner pieces.

Advantageously, the covering sections are stuck on. This form of securing is especially simple.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using an embodiment that is shown in the drawing. It shows:

FIG. 1 a three-dimensional view of an assembled base,

FIG. 2 a three-dimensional view of a detail of the base from the inside,

FIG. 3 a three-dimensional view of two bases arranged next to one another, and

FIG. 4 an exploded view of a base according to a different embodiment.

The base represented in FIG. 1 includes four corner elements 1, arranged on the corners of the base and identically formed. In detail, each corner element 1 has a bottom surface 2 and a top surface 3, as well as two longitudinal surfaces 4, 5 extending between them. In this case, the separate surfaces are arranged at right-angles to one another, forming an open frame. In the assembled state, the corner pieces are arranged in such a way to one another that, in each case, the longitudinal surfaces of the two adjacent corner pieces face towards one another, which corner pieces are at a further distance from one another. In the assembled state, this side is covered by the longitudinal panels 6, 7.

The bottom and top surfaces are formed longer than each of the longitudinal surfaces 4, 5, so that the corner piece is wider than it is high.

On the side of the corner piece 1 facing away from the interior of the base when assembled, the front side 9 extends between the bottom and top surface, as well as between the longitudinal surfaces 4, 5. In this case, the front side 9 is broken through by an essentially square opening 28, which roughly corresponds to the length or height of the longitudinal surfaces 4, 5, so that the opening 28 is larger than the remaining surface of the front side 9. The opening 28 is arranged on the edge of the front side that is facing towards the longitudinal surface 4 in such a way that a web area remains on each of the edges of the opening facing the top and bottom surfaces, as well as the longitudinal surface 4. The rest of the remaining surface of the front side 9 faces towards the longitudinal area 5.

The longitudinal area 4, that is, the surface that faces away from the interior of the base when assembled, has a reinforcing surface 8 on the edge facing towards the back side of the corner element 1, which is offset at a right-angle towards the back side from the longitudinal surface. In this case, the reinforcing surface 4 is formed as a single piece with the reinforcing surface 8 and this reinforcing surface only covers the smaller part of the back side, which had been open until now. The reinforcing surface 8, in this case, is aligned in such a way to the front side that it lies across from the opening 28.

The side surface 5 that lies in the interior of the base when assembled furthermore has a rectangular punched out area 10, which is punched out on three sides and offset on the longitudinal edge of the longitudinal surface at a level with the reinforcing surface 9. Preferably, this punched out area has a penetration opening, by means of which the longitudinal panels 7, 6 can easily be screwed down in the finished state. In this case, the punched out area 10 includes only a section of the longitudinal surface 5, so that the stability of the corner piece is not impaired.

The reinforcing surface 8 found on the back side of each corner piece 1 in the installed state has slot-shaped recesses 11, 11′, one each in the upper and lower areas.

Furthermore, each top and bottom surface of the corner piece 1 has two penetration openings, by means of which the corner pieces can be secured to the switch cabinet or the bottom. Because only one section of the back side of each corner piece is covered by the reinforcing surface 8, easy access to the corner piece or the interior of the base from the outside is possible, even after the base has been attached to the switch cabinet. In this way, easy access to the interior is ensured even after the switch cabinet has been installed or after the installation of a row of switch cabinets, so that subsequent cabling can be performed easily.

When built together, the areas between the corner pieces 1 are covered by the longitudinal panels 6 and 7, as well as by the transverse elements 13, 14. In this case, the longitudinal panels 6, 7 are formed identically to one another, whereas the transverse elements 13, 14 can be formed differently, depending on whether the switch cabinet should be installed in a row or alone. The base represented in FIG. 1 is a base for a switch cabinet which should be mounted as the corner cabinet in a row of switch cabinets; an example for two bases installed next to one another is represented in FIG. 3. The transverse element 13 is therefore formed as a covering element corresponding to the longitudinal panels 6, 7, and exercises corresponding functions, i.e., on the one hand, it serves as an element for the appearance and, for example, prevents dirt from penetrating into the base area. The design of the longitudinal panels 6, 7 and the transverse element 13 is described further below.

When built together, the transverse element 14 is covered by the next switch cabinet, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, and therefore does not have to take on any covering functions. As represented in FIG. 1 and 2, the transverse element 14 is formed as a profiled rail with a U-shaped cross-section, whereby the two legs of the U 15, 16 each serve as the bottom and top surfaces of the profiled rail. The base area 17 of the profiled rail of the transverse element 14 extends parallel to the corner pieces'1 longitudinal sides 4 that are facing away from the interior of the base. Both legs of the U 15, 16 have a track of punched holes, which allows the user to connect components to the transverse element or to connect, in a simple way, two transverse elements 14 that are correspondingly formed and arranged next to one another.

On the edge of each leg of the U 15, 16 that faces away from the base area 17, bent borders 18, 19 are arranged that extend towards one another at a right-angle from the legs of the U 15, 16 and parallel to the basis area 17. Preferably the bent borders 18, 19 are manufactured in one piece with the legs of the U by a simple bending.

When built together, the area of the transverse element 14 formed as a profiled rail, extends between the corner elements 1 that lie across from one another. In this case, when built together, the front faces of the legs of the U 15, 16 extend in the area of the reinforcing surfaces 8. The transverse element 14 is connected to the corner pieces 1 via end sections 20, which are formed in one piece with the profiled rail. In this case, the end sections 20 are formed on both sides of the profiled rail. Essentially, the end sections 20 include a surface section 21, which is formed as an extension of the base area 17 of the profiled rail and which extends over the entire width of the longitudinal surfaces 4 of the corner pieces 1. As already mentioned, the surface sections 21 approximately correspond to the base area 17 and furthermore have a projection, which is formed in one piece with the surface section 21, and which extends beyond this until approximately half the height of the side surface 4. A penetration opening is formed in the projection 22, which allows the transverse element to be connected to the corner piece 1.

As is particularly clear in FIG. 2, the bent border 19 furthermore extends beyond the profiled rail on both sides, all the way into the interior of the corner piece. To this end, the reinforcing surface 8 of the corner piece has a slot-shaped recess 11, 11′ in the bottom area, into which the extension of the bent border is inserted. In order to make it easier to insert it, the bottom surface of the corner piece can also be provided with a corresponding slot-shaped recess 11, 11′.

Because of the combination of the surface section 21 with the projection, on the one hand, a wide supporting surface is made available for the transverse element 14, and simultaneously an additional attachment is achieved in the interior of the corner piece 1 because of the lengthening of the bent borders 19.

In this case, it is also possible to lengthen the adjacent leg of the U 16 into the corner piece, in addition to the bent border, in order to thus make the feeding easier. In this case, however, it is necessary to undertake slight changes to the corner piece, e.g., by providing additional recesses.

If several switch cabinets, already provided with a base, should be used arranged next to one another, it is initially possible to remove a conventional transverse element, e.g., formed like transverse element 13, and, in its place, to arrange a transverse element 14. In this case, two switch cabinets, arranged adjacent to one another as represented in FIG. 3, can each have a transverse element 14, which are then simply connected to one another, e.g. using clamping elements which clamp around the legs of the U 15.

The longitudinal legs 6, 7 and the transverse element 13 are each formed as covering plates, which have reinforcing borders 23, 24 offset at 90° on their upper and lower edges. In this case, these reinforcing borders 23, 24, when installed, extend into the interior of the base, and each fits onto the respective longitudinal surface of the corner pieces 1 in the case of the longitudinal panels and on the reinforcing surfaces 8 in the case of the transverse element 13.

In this case, the reinforcing borders 23, 24 only extend over the area arranged between the corner pieces, whereas the covering surface extends at least to some extent beyond the corner pieces 1. In this case, the transverse element 13 is formed in such a way that the covering surface extends across the entire corner piece and ends with it. The transverse element 13 is then connected to the corner pieces 1 with screws.

Unlike the transverse element 13, the longitudinal panels 6, 7 do not extend completely over the corner pieces 1, but instead only over the entire front side 9 and end with it, so that the open part of the front side of each corner piece 1 continues to remain accessible. The longitudinal panels 6, 7 are likewise secured to the punched out areas 10 with screws. Afterwards, the open areas of the front sides of the corner pieces 1 are covered by the covering plates 26. In this case, the covering plates 26 are formed with four latching elements 27 on their back sides, which engage in an edge section provided on the front side of the corner pieces.

The covering plates 26 allow fast access to the interior of the base, because it is not necessary to screw off all covering plates, but instead it is only necessary to remove one covering plate.

The design of the base is shown again in detail for a freestanding switch cabinet as an exploded view in FIG. 4. In this case, particularly the attachment of the longitudinal panels 6, 7 is represented in detail. 

1. A base for a switch cabinet, said base comprising: four corner elements connected to one another via two longitudinal panels that run parallel to one another and two transverse elements that are arranged parallel to one another; wherein at least one transverse element is formed as a profiled rail having a track of punched holes, said profiled rail extending between two adjacent corner elements, said profiled rail having opposite end sections which extend on an outer side and into an interior of the corner elements.
 2. A base according to claim 1, wherein said profiled rail is formed with a U-shaped cross-section having a base area and legs extending therefrom, whereby the legs of the U extend parallel to a bottom of the corner elements and whereby a bent surface is offset from at least one of the legs of the U toward the other leg of the U in a direction parallel to the base area.
 3. A base according to claim 2, wherein each of the legs of the U exhibits at least one track of punched holes.
 4. A base according to claim 2 wherein a width of the base area of the profiled rail corresponds to approximately one third of the height of the corner element.
 5. A base according to claim 2 wherein both the base area and the bent surface of the leg of the U are lengthened beyond the profiled rail and extend on the outer side or into the interior of the corner element.
 6. A base according to claim 5 wherein the lengthened base area is arranged on the outer side of the corner pieces and has projections which extend over a predetermined portion of the outer side of the corner elements.
 7. A base according to claim 5 wherein at least one penetration opening is provided on the lengthened base area arranged on the outer side of the corner pieces.
 8. A base according to claim 1 wherein each corner element has a bottom surface, a top surface, and opposite longitudinal surfaces extending therebetween.
 9. A base according to claim 8 wherein each corner element further has a front side which has an essentially rectangular opening therein, said opening corresponding to at least half of the front side and is arranged adjacent to one of the longitudinal surfaces.
 10. A base according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the longitudinal surfaces facing away from the interior of the base when installed has a reinforcing area offset at a right-angle to a back side of the corner element and extending from an edge of the longitudinal surface that extends parallel to the back side.
 11. A base according to claim 10 wherein corner element comprises a front side having an opening therein the reinforcing surface and the opening arranged on the front side lie across from one another.
 12. A base according to claim 19 wherein the reinforcing surfaces arranged on the back side have a slot-shaped recess in an area adjacent to the top surface and/or bottom surface, with the recess running parallel to a longitudinal edge of the corner piece.
 13. A base according wherein the longitudinal surfaces of the corner elements which face towards one another when installed include punched out areas that are offset facing towards one another, the punched out areas extending parallel to the front side of the corner element.
 14. A base according to claim 13 wherein the offset punched out areas have penetration openings therethrough.
 15. A base according to claim 8 wherein the bottom surface or top surface of each corner element has at least one penetration opening.
 16. A base according to claim 1 wherein one of the longitudinal panels is formed as three pieces, whereby one longitudinal panel section extends between the corner elements all the way to the penetration openings and whereby two essentially equally large covering elements are placed on the open areas of the front surfaces of the corner elements.
 17. A base according to claim 16 wherein said covering sections are stuck on. 